Many chemicals such as organomercury compounds, organotin compounds, and chlorinated phenols have been used as industrial microbicidal preservatives. However, the toxicity of these compounds and environmental contamination caused by these compounds are known problems.
TCMTB and IPBC are known individually as low toxicity antimicrobials. When used alone, however, these compounds each possess a narrow antibacterial spectrum and have limited ability to completely prevent the growth of microorganisms.